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Pulsar PSR B1919+21 Trivia Questions

How much do you really know about Pulsar PSR B1919+21? Below are 8 true or false statements. Click each one to reveal the answer and explanation.

1.

This pulsar was used as the cover art for Joy Division's album 'Unknown Pleasures'.

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Easy
✓ TRUE

The iconic black-and-white radio wave image on the album cover is actually a stacked plot of PSR B1919+21's pulses.

2.

The pulses from PSR B1919+21 are caused by the star's rapid rotation and magnetic field.

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Easy
✓ TRUE

The rotating neutron star emits beams of radiation from its magnetic poles, which sweep past Earth like a lighthouse.

3.

PSR B1919+21 pulses at a rate of exactly one pulse per second.

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Medium
✗ FALSE

Its period is about 1.337 seconds, not exactly one second, though it was remarkably stable for a new discovery.

4.

The pulsar's signal was initially dismissed as terrestrial interference by all astronomers.

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Medium
✗ FALSE

While initially puzzling, the team, led by Anthony Hewish, confirmed it was extraterrestrial after ruling out human-made sources.

5.

PSR B1919+21 was the first pulsar ever discovered by astronomers.

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Medium
✓ TRUE

Discovered in 1967 by Jocelyn Bell Burnell, it was originally nicknamed LGM-1 for 'little green men' due to its precise pulses.

6.

The pulsar has a companion star that occasionally eclipses its radio signal.

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Hard
✗ FALSE

PSR B1919+21 is an isolated pulsar with no known stellar companion, so no eclipses occur.

7.

PSR B1919+21 is located in the constellation Vulpecula, the Fox.

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Hard
✓ TRUE

Its coordinates place it in Vulpecula, a faint northern constellation, far from the Milky Way's plane.

8.

PSR B1919+21 emits its pulses in visible light as well as radio waves.

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Hard
✗ FALSE

It is only detectable in radio wavelengths; no optical or X-ray pulsations have been observed from this object.

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